"
"Yea," said Ralph, "and now I deem thou wilt tell me that to the Burg
I needs must."
"Yea, forsooth," said the carle, "nor shall we be long, riding thus,
ere we come to the Burg Gate."
"Yea, or even slower," said Ralph, drawing rein somewhat,
"for now I deem the chase done: and after all is said,
I have no will to slay Falcon, who is one of my friends,
as thou perchance mayest come to be another."
Thereafter he went a hand-gallop till the wood began to thin, and there
were fields of tillage about the highway; and presently Roger said:
"Thou mayst breathe thy nag now, and ride single, for we are amidst friends;
not even a score of the Dry Tree dare ride so nigh the Burg save
by night and cloud."
So Ralph stayed his horse, and he and Roger lighted down,
and Ralph looked about him and saw a stone tower builded on
a little knoll amidst a wheatfield, and below it some simple
houses thatched with straw; there were folk moreover working,
or coming and going about the fields, who took little heed
of the two when they saw them standing quiet by the horse's head;
but each and all of these folk, so far as could be seen,
had some weapon.
Then said Ralph: "Good fellow, is this the Burg of the Four Friths?"
The carle laughed, and said: "Simple is the question, Sir Knight:
yonder is a watch-tower of the Burg, whereunder husbandmen can live,
because there be men-at-arms therein. And all round the outskirts
of the Frank of the Burg are there such-like towers to the number
of twenty-seven.
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